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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. chest — of your body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. court — for sport
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bass — the fish
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stock — shares
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. press — newspapers
  14. chest — a box
  15. foot — a measure
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. court — of a king
  20. press — to push
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. court — of law
  23. pit — a hole
  24. stock — goods

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com